Where your wings are
by busybee10
Summary: Bella died when she jumped off the cliff, but she returned as an Angel. Can she and Edward forgive each other when they meet again? this is an adopted fic. i take no credit for the first 7 chapters All recognisable characters belong to Stephanie Meyer.
1. Angelic

**Angelic**

Bella POV

I stepped up to my chosen point on the cliff. Edward's voice had long stopped telling me what to do, but I still wanted the adrenaline. With a smile I flung myself off the cliff.

It was only seconds before I hit the rock that I realized that I should have taken Jacob's advice and waited for him. Then I crashed onto the rock, and I blacked out.

When I woke up, I was in a very fancy office. It had a plush white carpet, and pale wooden walls. There was a large fish tank in the corner, teeming with angelfish. I was sitting in a comfy chair right in front of a very expensive desk.

Then a man came through the door. He looked a bit like Carlisle, with a model's body and blonde hair, but his eyes were sky blue, and he had a slightly overworked look that would never have appeared on Carlisle's face. He beamed when he saw me.

"Ah, Isabella! Though," he muttered, sitting down, and leafing through a book that had materialized in front of him, "it says here that you prefer Bella." He held out his hand. I shook it. His hand was very warm and light.

"Now," he said, putting the book down. "My name is Matthew. I suppose that you can guess why you're here."

I looked out of the window. Fluffy white clouds were floating by. The angelfishes winked at me.

I sighed. "I died, didn't I?"

He frowned. "Yes. It says here that you hit a rock and broke your neck. Oh, I sound really insensitive! Would you like a tissue?

I shook my head.

Matthew smiled at me. "Bella, according to the book, you were pretty good in your life, and so Heaven is open to you." He gestured at the clouds. "But there is another option for people like you, people who understand the physical and mental suffering that humans can go through. We were all really sad when Edward left you, by the way. But we were very proud that you began pulling yourself back together, although cliff-diving and motorcycles aren't the usual therapy."

I shrugged. "What's the other option?"

He smacked his head. "I really need to stop going off track. Well, there are two types of angels. The first type is the ones like me, who were created in Heaven, and hardly ever leave it. The other type is the 'Earth Angel'. These are angels who were once human, but were turned into angels. They live on Earth, and try to help people who are going through tough times like abuse, loss of someone close to them, and so forth. Heavenly therapists if you will. There are both advantages and disadvantages to being an angel, but all in all, it's quite cool, and to be honest, we need more Earth Angels to combat the suffering on Earth. We would have put one with you, but as I said, there just aren't enough to go around."

I considered it. "What are the advantages and disadvantages?"

Matthew leaned back in his chair. "Well, the advantages are that, once you transform, you become stunningly beautiful, never age or die, control the elements, don't need to eat or breathe or sleep, can turn invisible, remember every single memory you've ever had, have super speed and strength, shape shift into animals, your tears will heal any wound, gain the ability to communicate telepathically with other angels, and you will have this..aura around you, which make anyone near you feel calm and happy." I smiled. I liked the sound of being an angel.

"The disadvantages", he said with a frown, "are the fact that you grow wings, which though are handy when you need to fly, can never be got rid of, though they can be folded. So you'll have to wear thick clothing to hide them. When you become blissfully happy, a halo will appear above your head, so you'll have to learn to control your emotions. You will literally become a spirit clothed in flesh, so if you go to the doctor, they'll find that you have no heartbeat, and your blood will burn like acid. Your blood will turn gold, by the way. And though you are free to fall in love, and even have a relationship with a human, bear in mind that you'll never age, so it can only be temporary. And any children you have have to be left with the human parent. Actually, you don't need to worry about that, because half-angel children can only be created if their parents are truly in love – you know soul mates. And that's very rare, despite what every fortune-teller in the world says.

I thought about it. I liked the idea of helping people who were going through something similar to what I'd gone through. And there was something else. Angels sounded a lot like vampires, only much better. If Edward refused to create me into something like him, then fine. I would turn into an angel.

I looked up at him. "I'll do it."

Matthew's face split into a grin. "Come with me." He led me into a room that had what looked like a shower cubicle in the centre. I turned to him, and he nodded. "Go in."

I hopped into it. Suddenly, I was consumed by all of my good memories – my first word, Charlie and me dancing around at Christmas, my mother's smile. It was a storm of pure bliss. Then I was suddenly falling, and when I opened my eyes, I was floating in the sea.

I swam to the shore far more quickly than I should have been able to. I stared at my reflection in the water. I was more beautiful than Rosalie, with long dark hair, faintly glowing pale skin, and violet eyes. I had huge white wings fanning out from my back. They seemed to pass through the white silk robe I was wearing.

I panicked, and checked for any one staring at an angel on the beach. Luckily, there was no one around for miles.

"_Bella?"_

I spun around, panicked. But there was nobody there.

"_Bella, its Matthew. Remember, you can communicate with any and every angel, both on Heaven and Earth. Now then. You can control your wings like you can control your arms. Fold them in gently."_

I carefully folded my wings back. They were no thicker than one or two inches when I did this, though they'd been thick enough to sleep on when I had them open. _"Very good. Now, visualize the clothes that you would like to wear. Your robe will morph into them."_

I imagined my favorite top and jeans. I was instantly wearing them. I grinned. No more shopping. Ever.

I soon settled in to my angelic lifestyle. I told the wolves what I was – they had to believer me when I revealed my wings and halo – but I didn't tell Charlie. I told him that I was going to college. Instead, I traveled around the world, helping those in need of an angel. I specialized in teens. The poor, the lonely, the suicidal. My gifts soon helped them, and I moved on quickly. A slight bother was that every boy tended to fall in love with me, but my aura of calm and happiness stopped it all turning into bloodshed with the girls.

My latest object was to help a 17 year-old girl named Amber. Both of Amber's parents had recently died, and she had fallen into the wrong crowd. I managed to ease her out of her depression, and now she was a happy, vibrant girl. I would soon move on, but for now I was staying to see how well she was settling in with her grandparents.

I was flying through the air, invisible, in order to get to school on time. I enjoyed the buzz I got for swooping among the crowds. Now that I had wings, I wondered what I'd ever seen in motorcycles.

Landing softly, I folded my wings, changed my robe to a white silk shirt and a black silk skirt, and switched off my invisibility.

Amber spotted me. She ran up to me and threw her arms around me. "Hi Bella!"

I smiled at her. Amber was tall (though not as tall as I was now) with long red hair and vivid green eyes. She even looked pretty standing next to an angel.

"So," I yawned, pretending that I was tired, like every other teen should be on a Monday morning. "What did you do in the weekend?"

She grinned. "I went to Alton Towers. You were right, Bella. It's a really good place to get some adrenaline."

I tossed back my mahogany hair. "Glad to hear it."

Amber and I walked slowly to my next classroom.

"You know, you've been a really good friend Bella" Amber tugged down her skirt as a teacher walked by. "Everyone else just backed off when I went through that phase, but you were always there for me, even when I was being a bitch. I'll really miss you when you leave."

I sighed. As far as Amber knew, my mother had found a new job in Japan, which was where my next assignment was. "Don't worry. I'll write." I wrote over twenty letters every week to all of my ex-assignments. Amber beamed again. "Thanks, Bella. I appreciate that."

We waltzed into English, and I sat in my usual spot next to each other. Mr. White wasn't there yet. Amber leaned over. "I think that there are some new students coming."

I frowned. "Why are they joining so late? It's November."

She shrugged. "Probably got into some trouble. Perhaps you could sort them out."

"Maybe." I didn't think that I'd focus too much attention on them though. If they were that bad, they would already have their own angel friend. If not, then a few days around me would calm them down.

Mr. White walked in. "Class please meet our new students, Edward, Alice, Rosalie, Jasper, and Emmett." I froze. Please God, not them.

I raised my head, and my now violet eyes met Edward's.


	2. Flying

**Flying**

Bella POV

I ducked my head, but it was too late. A look of incredibility had spread all over Edward's face, and Alice was staring at me. So she hadn't seen it coming? Perhaps angels were too spiritual to be viewed in a vision.

Mr. White directed them to their seats. I thanked my lucky stars that I had Amber sitting next to me. Unfortunately, there was a spare seat behind me, and Edward slipped into that. The girls were drooling over him, but the boys weren't that interested. An angel's beauty always outshines even a vampire's. As Rosalie passed me, she flashed me a look of envy and hate. I smiled one of my stunning heavenly smiles, and she meekly sat down. No one can resist an angel's smile.

I tuned into Edward's thoughts. An angel can communicate telepathically with other angels, and though they can't do it with other beings, we can listen to their thoughts.

Edward's mind was bouncing within his skull. _"What is she? She isn't human, that's for sure. She's too beautiful, but she isn't a vampire. Is her skin glowing? It is! And the way she smells…Like my favorite flowers, and mountain lions. But her blood doesn't smell of anything. Oh Bella, what are you? And can you forgive me?"_

It was childish, I knew. But I turned my head, looked Edward in the eye, and shook my head.

His face crumpled.

Amber nudged me. "Looks like another guy's got the hots for you, Bells."

I smiled, though inside I was churning. How dare they show up here? Well, I wouldn't be crawling back to Edward. No sir!

I hardly paid attention to the lesson, just writing down the answers that I had already glimpsed from the teacher's brain. As soon as the bell went, I mouthed 'feeling sick' to Amber, and dashed to the toilet. Sinking down the side of a cubicle, I allowed my mind to connect with one of the heavenly angels. It was a female, called Rebecca.

"_Can I please leave?" _I begged her.

"_I'm sorry Bella, but Amber needs you. If you vanish without an explanation, she'll feel abandoned, and could easily go wrong again. You just need to stay two more weeks. Just avoid the Cullens using your powers. It will be easy for you. And remember, every angel in the universe is here for you."_

I broke off the mental link. Rebecca was right. I couldn't leave Amber. It would be a total betrayal of trust. I was an angel. Avoiding mere vampires should be easy. Taking a deep breath, I opened the cubicle door.

Alice and Rosalie walked in.

ALICE POV

I playfully punched Edward on the arm. "Yay! A new school! New boys to dazzle (this earned me a growl from Jasper), new subjects to learn, it'll be brilliant!

Edward glared at me. "It's a new school, Alice, but it'll be the same. Teenagers fantasizing about us. Subjects that we've learned hundreds of times. Nothing new."

_That's what you said about Forks._

He growled and the speedometer beeped.

When we arrived, the receptionist was instantly dazzled. Edward moaned softly, probably having to watch her thoughts about us in his mind again and again. I smirked at him, and searched the future.

Our first lesson was extremely blurry. Every single time I tried to see beyond us walking through the door, everything went fuzzy. I mentioned this to everyone, but Emmett only laughed. "It's probably just a Quileute, Alice. The school's only about sixty-nine miles away from La Push. We can handle a werewolf." Jazz and Rose agreed, but Edward and I were worried.

For once feeling nervous about a lesson we walked in through the door. And I instantly realized what was playing havoc with my vision.

Bella was sitting in one of the front desks. But she wasn't the Bella we had left. Her beauty now left Rose and me looking like frogs, and she was emitting a golden glowing. Her eyes had changed from brown to violet, and there was a slight bulge on her back. I inhaled, and her scent rushed up my nostrils. Panther blood, lilies, and the enchanting perfume that my favorite Gucci store always sprayed around. I realized that these were all my favorite scents, and since it was impossible for Bella to have been near a panther, rolled in lilies, visited my favorite Gucci shop and turned up for school, she must smell of our favorite things. I wondered what the others were smelling. Then my attention snapped back to Bella.

She had ducked her head, but we had all recognized her. I was puzzled. Her eyes could be the result of contacts, but she was very warm, and it was impossible to fake that. So, what had she become?

Mr. White smiled at us warmly. "Edward, there's a seat behind Miss Swan, Rosalie next to Mr. Hoss, Jasper, in front of Mr. Dante, Emmett next to Miss Clark, and Alice behind Miss Ham.

I sat down. The girls were all throwing poisonous looks at us, but they were nothing compared to what Rosalie threw at Bella. I guess she just wasn't used to not being the most gorgeous person in the room. But then Bella smiled at her, a lovely smile filled with joy and hope, and Rosalie collapsed into her chair, shocked into submission.

I kept sneaking peeks at Bella. At one point she turned and shook her head at Edward. His face filled with pain. Maybe she could talk with people from her mind? Her hand was flying across the page, though she didn't seem to be paying any attention to the teacher's droning. As soon as the bell went, she stood up and raced outside.

We looked for her, but she seemed to have vanished, her heavenly scent lost in the stench of sweaty teenagers. I would have continued looking, but Rose tugged on my arm. "Come on, I need to reapply my make-up." I rolled my eyes. Her make-up was immaculate, but I knew that seeing the new Bella had made her feel insecure, so I followed her into the toilets.

One of the cubicle doors swung open, and Bella strolled out. She froze when she saw us.

I was hugging her in an instant. "Bella, I've missed you soooooo much! What are you? How've you been?" That seemed a polite way of asking 'What are you?'

She tried to resist, but my pixie arms were too strong, and she embraced me. She was pleasantly warm, and I felt…safe in her arms. Like no one could hurt me, because Bella was watching over me. Like a mother. Then she broke away, and the little-girl feeling I had vanished.

Bella smiled hesitantly at me. "Hi, Alice, Rosalie." Rosalie sniffed, and Bella tried to walk out. "Not so fast, Bella! Edward needs to talk to you."

"What? No!"

Taking no notice, we marched her to an empty room. I had a feeling that she could have used whatever powers she had to escape, but couldn't dare to use them because of the crowds. If someone saw her, she was doomed. So we kept to the thickest part of the tangle of human bodies until we reached our destination, a deserted Art room. Edward, Jasper, and Emmett were waiting there.

Edward crossed the distance between us, his pale face full of longing and puzzlement. "What are you Bella? Who did this to you?"

She glared at him. "No one. I made the choice that transformed me into this."

"But what did it transform you into?"

Bella tossed back her mane of thick dark hair. "Why should I tell you? It was thanks to you that I made the choice."

Edward tried to touch her hand, but she dodged, and tried to run out of the room. Emmett and Jasper blocked her. "We won't let you go until you tell us what you are."

"FINE!" Bella screamed. I'd never seen anything so beautiful or terrifying. It was like the sun freezing over.

Her clothes melted into a dazzling white silk robe. The faint glowing on her skin intensified into she was illuminating the entire room. White feathery wings rose from her back.

I gasped. No…she couldn't be an…

"Angel" Edward whispered. He was staring at her in amazement. "You're an angel, Bella."

She rolled her eyes, and changed back. "So, the clever vampire finally figures it out."

Rosalie spoke for the first time. "How did you become an angel?"

Bella glowered at her. Well, Rosalie deserved it after the dirty looks she'd aimed at Bella.

"To cut a long story short, I went cliff-diving, but I hit a rock. When I woke up, I was in an office with an angel. He told me that if I wanted too, I could go into Heaven, but they needed more angels on Earth. So I was transformed into an angel, and I've spent the last two years helping people with problems. I'm moving on in a fortnight."

Edward looked like he was going to faint. I was shocked too. I approached her hesitantly. "Your wings…can I?"

She nodded, and turned back into her angelic self. I stroked the wings. They were soft but muscular, and rippled under my gentle hands. Amazing. Rosalie was green with envy. Bella changed back.

She darted out of the room before I could stop her. We let her go. She had given us a lot to think about. I tried to see her future, but she was too blurry. My lips pouted. I hated being blind to what was coming.

We didn't have any other classes with her, but we saw her quite a lot in the halls. She was always surrounded by a gaggle of admiring boys, their thoughts making Edward grind his teeth in fury. Also always with her was a red-head, who seemed to really look up to Bella. I remembered what Bella had said about her helping troubled people. Perhaps this girl had been one of her assignments.

The day ended. We all crossed over to Edward's Volvo. I smelt Bella, so I ran over to the place hidden by trees where her scent led.

She had her wings out, and her face was filled with joy. Then she spread her wings, and launched into the sky.


	3. Forgiveness

**Forgiveness **

Bella POV

I landed gracefully outside my house. I sheathed my wings, but I didn't become visible. It was just so peaceful, to be one with the air. Whenever I was invisible, I felt closer to the earth, and through the earth, the other angels on the planet.

Still, I had to hurry. I was taking Amber out to a nightclub. I had a good feeling about this club. Maybe Amber would finally meet her special someone.

I closed my eyes, and within seconds, my formal silk skirt and shirt turned into a turquoise mini-dress with matching stilettos. It had a low neckline, and was backless. I looked stunning, and I knew that every guy would be out to get me. That was why I had chosen the outfit. Amber deserved someone who would ignore any temptation, and I was satisfied that this would be an adequate test.

One of the great things about being an angel was the fact that your robe contained a golden credit card, which was linked to an account stuffed with cash. I had used the money to purchase an Aston Martin which I hardly ever used except for taking out Amber.

I arrived at her house fifteen minutes later. Amber squealed when she saw me. "Ohmigod Bella, you look gorgeous!"

"So do you" I smiled. It was true. She was wearing a green silk top with a black skirt, and her large emerald eyes were outlined to look even bigger. She plunked herself down next to me, and waved goodbye to her grandparents as we sped off.

The nightclub was cool, but it had an air of class. Amber and I started to dance, leading a crowd of men to come over and stare at us. Amber blushed, and lost her footing. Before I could help her, a man ran out of the crowd, and caught her. He was in his early twenties, with dark brown hair and blue eyes. They stared at each other. Two minutes later, they were dancing. I approved, and walked away to give them some alone time.

Some men tried to talk to me, but I subtly pushed them away. My aura was making them feel peaceful, so they ambled off without a fight. I sighed in relief.

Then a cold hand came down and touched mine. I whipped up my head and glared at Edward. "What are you doing here?"

His eyes widened innocently. "Rose and Alice wanted to visit a nightclub, and I went with them. It was the only way to ensure that they wouldn't be ripped apart by the human males in here. What are _you _doing here?"

I gestured to where Amber was dancing with her guy. "I'm here to make sure that she's alright."

He smiled. "Oh, she will be. Her new boyfriend does not intend to let anyone else near her."

I looked up at him with my new violet eyes. "Why did you leave me, Edward? I know what you said in the woods but…that wasn't the Edward I fell in love with."

His face became filled with pain again. He tried to look over my head, but I was the same height as him, and he'd have looked stupid craning his neck. Well, perhaps not to the human girls staring at him, but he would to me. I knew that he was about to tell me the truth, and I was prepared for the fact that it was Tanya or some other immortal that he loved, not me.

He sighed. "I was always so afraid whenever I was with you. I loved you so much that I thought my heart would burst, but your blood was always singing to me. When you cut your finger, for a moment it was me, not Jasper, who was in danger of killing you. I didn't want to put you through that danger again. You have no idea how much it hurt me to say those cruel words to you in the woods, but I had to make sure that you wouldn't look for me. Because then I would take you back, putting you in danger again. You deserved better than that."

I was shocked. He…really loved me? I hadn't been just a source of entertainment? He'd left to _protect_ me?

I managed to stutter out a few words. "Y-you loved me?"

He stared at me. "How could you think that? Of course I loved you! It hurt so much to leave you that I locked myself in my room for a year! They had to bring my prey to me."

I froze, and then rubbed my eyes. "I wish that you hadn't left. It would have caused me a lot less pain."

He nodded. "Me too."

Amber came dancing up. "Bella, can we go home now? Grandpa just called. My aunt's visiting, and I really want to see her."

I sighed, and found my keys. "Amber, I need to stay here for a bit. You can take my car home."

Her face filled with some strange emotion. It took me a few seconds to work it out. No one had ever really trusted Amber after her rough time, and now I was letting her borrow a really expensive car. I hadn't meant to, but I had managed to make our bond much stronger. She smiled at me, though I noticed that her eyes were glittering with tears. "Thanks, Bella." Then she was gone, swallowed by the crowd.

I turned to Edward. "Couldn't give me a lift home could you?"

EDWARD POV

Oh, my angel. I couldn't stop glancing at her all the way back to her house. She was so beautiful. And the smell…she smelled good, but not in the way that had made me almost kill her.

We pulled up next to a small but tasteful house. I raised my eyes at her. She sighed. "I never did get used to having money spent on me."

We walked inside. It was light and airy, with windows giving Bella spectacular views of the town. She changed her dress into a silky pair of pajamas. I smiled appreciatively. She didn't blush, but she glowed brightly.

She floated towards me. Our arms slipped around each other, and her wings closed over us, protecting us from any peeking eyes as our lips met.


	4. Forbidden

Bella POV

"No!"

I snatched myself back. Edward looked appalled. "Bella? What's wrong?"

I held up a shaking hand. "We shouldn't be doing this. You should move on, and so should I."

He wrapped his arms around me. "Do you want to move on?"

I thought about. "No", I admitted. "I want to stay with you."

He smiled my favorite crooked smile. "Then you can."

I raised my wings so that they covered us. He stroked one in wonder. "Your wings are so beautiful. I love you."

I smiled. Then I remembered something. "Edward, I can't stay. I've got a new assignment in Japan. I've got to do my job."

Edward tilted back his head. If he wasn't an angel, then he was definitely descended from one. "Then I'll come with you."

I pushed myself off his chest. "Edward, you can't. I won't allow you to leave your family over me."

He sighed. "My family was falling apart anyway. Without you, I was extremely depressed, and I stayed in my room all the time. It drove Jasper mad."

"But still…"

He cradled me. "If it makes you feel better, we can go and visit my family right now. Then they can vote on it."

I considered this. "Fine."

Edward leaned over, and tried to pick me up. I pushed him back. He stared at me, his golden eyes confused. I grinned.

"It's my turn to carry you, Edward."

And before he could protest, I scooped him up and launched myself into the sky.

"Where's your house?" I called. Edward's face was torn between exhilaration and terror. With a trembling finger, he pointed to a house tucked between two forests. Typical Cullen location.

I tucked in my wings and dived. Edward gave a very unmanly scream. Then I floated gently down, landing lightly on the balls of my feet.

Edward opened his eyes. "Please never tell Emmett or Jasper that I screamed. They would never let me live it down."

I winked. "Don't worry. I'll keep your secret."

Then I took his hand, and we entered the Cullen residence.

EDWARD POV

I was utterly embarrassed. How could I have screamed? Only my angel would keep my secret. My family would have recorded it if it had been them around when I screamed.

As soon as we stepped inside, Bella vanished. I panicked for a second, but then I realized that she was lost in Emmett's hug.

"Bella! You made up with Eddie-poo!"

I snarled. "Never. Call. Me. That. Again."

He smirked. "Sure thing, bro. But still! How are you, my heavenly sister?"

Carlisle walked over. He gasped when he saw Bella's wings. I read his thoughts. _What is she? Oh, if only I had time to do an X-Ray…_

Bella embraced Esme, who didn't comment on her feathery wings. "Bella, we missed you so much."

Bella smiled. "I've missed you guys too."

Alice bounced over and kissed Bella. "Bella, we so need to go shopping."

Bella smirked. "Sorry, Alice. I can change my outfit at will. No more shopping for me."

Alice gasped, horrified. "What kind of sick creature are you?"

Bella winked. "An angel."

Carlisle put a hand to his mouth. I knew that he was dying to ask her some questions about Heaven, but I shook my head. Bella needed time to adjust.

BELLA POV

I turned to Rosalie. "How have you been R-"

Then two angels raced through the door. They were terrified and clearly exhausted, but they ran to me. "Sister! Help us! Angels are under attack!"


	5. Fighting

Bella POV

For a moment, I was frozen in shock. I stared at the incomers. They were both female, one only about four years old, and the other around twelve. They were clearly exhausted, but the older clutched at my arm.

"Please! There are monsters bursting through into the world! Every angel is fighting them, we're winning, but there's one coming after us, and we're too weak to fight it anymore!"

I morphed into a mountain lion. A perfect killing machine. Edward grabbed my tail. I growled.

"Please, Bella. You don't need to fight this monster, it could kill you."

The older angel sighed. "It can't kill her. She would just get stuck in Limbo for a few weeks. And she has to fight it, because it will slaughter any creature it finds. It is basically pure hate and rage bound in a physical form. I'd fight it, but I'm out of power.

I nodded. The angel smiled wearily, and cradled the younger cherub. I realized with a jolt that they were sisters – they had the same honey-colored hair and almond-shaped eyes. The cherub was crying, but whether it was for me or her I didn't know.

I stalked outside. There was a scent of something bad. Very bad. But before I could run away, a _thing _exploded from the woods.

It was the vilest creature I'd ever seen. Its head was short and squat, covered in slime, all of its features crushed back into its face. It had no body, just a billowing cloud of darkness, with skulls bobbing to the surface before being sucked back into its torso. It had no hands, just two blades of bone smeared with gore. I gasped. It was enough to make an angel terrified. Then my powers kicked in.

I roared at the monster, my version of 'back off!' It leered, and started shambling towards me. Scratch that plan then. Time for (ugh) physical contact.

I switched back into my divine form and attacked. My hand struck the monster on its slimy head. It snarled, and swung its piece of bone at my head. I ducked, and flew into the sky. It giggled, and stretched its body, the dark cloud reaching after me. I hissed. They could _stretch? _I would speak to Matthew about making me fight monsters with special abilities. He didn't mention that part when inviting me to be an angel.

I swooped through the mass of death before me. As I dived into the monsters body, I got flashes of horrible visions – a baby being ripped apart, flames devouring a city – but then I passed through, and the visions stopped.

It swiped at me again, and this time it caught me on my wing. I shrieked, and I heard Edward howl in unison. I tumbled back to earth, the monster looming above me.

I thought about closing my eyes. This was the end. I wouldn't be allowed to leave Heaven for decades. Edward would get tired of waiting and move on to Tanya. My life would be over.

It was that thought that hit home. No. Edward and I had just found each other again, and no monster could break us apart. If I had to kill the creature then fine, but we would _not _be separated.

My wing was bleeding, golden blood flowing from the wound. Then my first conversation with Matthew came floating back to me…

"_Your blood will burn like acid."_

I let it trickle onto my palm. Then I flung a cupful of the golden liquid at the monster. The effect was instant.

As if my blood was paraffin, the monster burst into flames. It shrieked in agony, and writhed. But the visions I had seen kept me from feeling any sorrow to what I'd done.

Then something occurred to me. The thing wasn't dying. It was in terrible pain, but it wasn't anywhere close to dying. How could I kill it?

A beam of light shot down from the sky. It thickened and twisted, until Matthew stood next to me.

"You did well Bella" he said quietly. "We've just about exterminated them, but we've got sixteen angels trapped in Limbo. Catherine, I need you to help the rescue party."

The cherub nodded, and spread her tiny silver wings. She flew into the sky.

Matthew turned to the Cullens. They were gawking at us. "Bella has been drained by this ordeal, and so has Charlotte." I assumed that he meant the older angel. "I would appreciate it if you would allow them to stay while they regain their strength."

Carlisle nodded. "Of course we will."

Matthew smiled. "Thank you, Carlisle." He bent forward and whispered something into Carlisle's ear. Whatever it was, it made the vampires face light up. Then Matthew scooped up the blazing monster and vanished.

"I hate it when they do that" Charlotte mumbled. I smiled at her, and she yawned. "I need to recharge. Do you mind if I use a bedroom?"

Edward nodded. "Not at all. Pick any."

She sighed, and gracefully sprinted back to the house. Edward looked at me, confused. "What did she mean by recharge?"

I smiled. "All angels are filled with a celestial energy. It flows into us from Heaven. But when we fight, we cut ourselves off from the energy stream. So she needs to link up to it again. I need to do it as well, but I'll only do it when I absolutely have to."

He looked puzzled. "Why, love?"

I snuggled into his shoulder. "So that I can stay awake. When we link up, we're rendered temporarily unconscious. I don't want to sleep."

He sighed, and lifted me, bridal-style. "Come on then."

He laid me gently down on the sofa. I looked at the rest of the Cullens. Their faces were bursting with curiosity, and I suddenly felt very tired.

"I think I'll link up now after all."


	6. Fear

EDWARD POV

I gently stroked my angel's cheek. She smiled softly in her sleep. Her angelic glow was much brighter now that she was 'linked up'. Charlotte was sleeping upstairs in Rosalie's bed, my sister hovering protectively over her. I knew why – Charlotte was clearly not an old angel, so Rosalie could be motherly without being patronizing. A rare thing in our world.

Alice strolled over, surveying Bella with satisfaction. As soon as Bella had gone into this coma-like sleep, Alice had whipped off her robe and put her into a tank top and designer jeans. Bella's snowy wings passed though the material as if it wasn't there.

Alice put a pillow under Bella's head. Her golden eyes were soft. "I think that you should talk to Carlisle. He's mulling over what that angel said, and I want to know what it is."

I nodded reluctantly. I didn't want to leave my angel to slumber on her own, but she had Alice, and I too was curious about what the angel had said to my father to make him so happy.

Carlisle was in his study, staring at the picture of London in the time of his human life. I wondered who had painted it. Carlisle had bought it in the 19th centuary at an auction for far less than the price it was worth. The artist had been destitute, and forced to sell his most prized works.

He turned around when he saw me. He smiled, knowing why I had come.

"Carlisle". I sat down in the chair in front of his desk. "What did the angel say to you?"

Carlisle ran his hands through his soft blonde hair. "He told me that both I and you were right."

I was confused. "Right about what?"

He sat down behind the desk, and studied me. "It seems that vampires do not lose their souls as soon as they are changed, not even when they feed, because newborns have no control. But they are not allowed to enter Heaven if they continue to take lives after they regain their personalities. But they have decided to make exceptions for those who make an effort." He looked at me, his eyes shining. "We are one of them. There are only two other covens in the world who are going to enter Heaven – the Denali's and the Crosses."

I frowned. "Who are the Crosses?"

He shrugged. "I don't know much about them. They're not vegetarians instead they take donated blood from hospital stores and drink that."

I realized what he was saying. "So…if we die, we'll go up to Heaven." A smile appeared on my face. "I can be with Bella."

He nodded. I felt strange. Well, Bella and I were strange. Who would have thought that something as pure as an angel would have fallen in love with something as dark as me? It was a miracle.

Then Alice raced up the stairs. Her face was filled with despair. "The Volturi are coming."

I stared at her. "Why are they coming? And why did you only get the vision now?"

She wrung her hands. "We haven't done anything wrong – they've eliminated a coven nearby, and they want to drop in and see Carlisle. They've only decided now, and that's why my vision was late."

I shuddered at the thought of Bella with Aro around. Aro had a collection of, not only talented vampires, but also 'experiments', creatures who he felt could help the Volturi. Children of the Moon, immortal infants. Bella would be the jewel of his collection. he could not see her.

I ran down the stairs. Bella was beginning to stir. I scooped her up, and ran into Rosalie's room. Charlotte was twitching. Soon they'd both wake up, and then we could move them. But I wasn't sure how stable their condition was while they were still 'linking up.'

There was a knock at the door. Alice flew down the stairs, Carlisle following her. Rosalie swept off to see the Volturi.

I listened to Aro's thoughts. _Ah, so Carlisle has a coven. Oh dear. I was hoping that he wouldn't convert more of our kind to his ridiculous lifestyle. Still, at least it isn't a power-hungry coven…though it is a bit large._

I smiled. Aro wouldn't be coming up the stairs at any time if he was worried about his safety.

Bella moaned, and opened her eyes. Charlotte drew in a deep breath, and shot back into consciousness. They both stared at me. Bella's eyes where confused. "Why are we hiding up here? Who's downstairs?"

I was about to ask how she knew that there was people downstairs, when I remembered that she had senses as sharp as mine. I would have to get used to that. "I'm sorry Bella. The royalty of our world are paying us a visit, and I don't want them to see you."

She nodded, showing me that she understood. Charlotte smiled, and gave her a hug.

Then it happened.

Aro had shaken hands with Carlisle. And seen his every thought.

"Carlisle." Aro's voice was cold. "What's this about an angel?"


	7. Flight

Bella POV

Edward snarled. Carlisle raised his voice, sounding reluctant. "Edward, bring Bella and Charlotte down."

I hesitantly walked down the stairs, Charlotte following me. Her angelic voice was grumbling something about 'stupid never-sleeping vampires' but I wasn't paying much attention.

The Cullens' living-room was filled with cloaked figures. Their faces were hidden by the darkness of their hoods, but I caught flashes of pale skin and blood-red eyes.

Edward growled at the thoughts of some of the strange vampires, but I didn't care what they thought of a divinely beautiful winged figure. I was more interested in what they were going to say.

"Well, Carlisle" the leader said, his eyes fixed on me. "You've expanded your collection."

"No Aro" Carlisle said firmly. "Bella is a friend of Edward. She will be leaving soon, along with her sister."

Aro wagged a pale finger. "You can't lie to me Carlisle. She is more than a friend."

Edward hissed. "She is _not _a pet."

Charlotte rolled her eyes. "Vampires are so emo."

Aro cocked his head. "What?"

She sighed. "Look, if you have red eyes, insist in dressing in non-flattering black clothes, and have lots of scars, people are going to call you emo. _And_ your hair makes you look like a hippy."

Aro looked dumbfolded. Charlotte gave me a small wink. I understood.

We began edging away, as she attacked everything from his fashion to his questionable manhood. As soon as we reached the door, Edward lifted me on his back, and we bolted.

Unfortunately, we hadn't done it without detection. I heard a cry of anger, and Charlotte's voice yelling out that the Volturi were pansies. Edward glared at the figures pouring out of the house. Looking for us.

The chase was on.


End file.
